2i6 IN SUMMER. 



dings ! Let them go down to posterity by name 

 only. 



The herbs of the field and garden were gath- 

 ered, each in its proper season, by the folks at 

 home, and in great bunches were suspended 

 from the exposed beams of the old kitchen. In 

 early autumn they made quite a display, but, as 

 the winter wore away, became rather sorry-look- 

 ing reminders of the past summer. To a limited 

 extent their bulk decreased and their odor be- 

 came less pronounced; but how seldom were 

 they ever disturbed! I have dared to think 

 that herb-gathering was a survival from prehis- 

 toric times, but I never dared to hint this to my 

 grandmother. The nearest to doing this was to 

 coax a braver boy to ask if the old bunches 

 were burned at midnight with secret ceremonies, 

 for they gave place to the new crop each year, 

 yet were not seen lying about the yard. Neither 

 the braver boy nor I could get any satisfaction, 

 but a forcible reprimand instead, for hinting at 

 paganism. I hold, nevertheless, that a trace of 

 it did exist then, and does. Was it not some- 

 thing akin to this that more than one medicinal 

 herb had to be gathered at midnight ? This, it 

 is true, was not openly admitted, but unquestion- 

 ably faith in its virtue as a remedy was dimin- 

 ished if the plant was not gathered as the su- 

 perstition dictated. Try as we may, the crude 



